Understanding Files and Folders in Scrivener

Before you dig into working in the Binder, a couple of things require clarification: The concept of folders and files is less rigid in Scrivener than you’re probably used to. A Scrivener folder can contain text, just like a document, and can be converted back to a document at any time.

Document files can contain sub-files, making them a container much like a folder — called a file group — and can be converted to a folder at any time.

Folders and files are essentially the same, except for their icons and default view modes. Files open in Document view, but folders open in the last-used group view (Scrivenings, Corkboard, or Outliner). The distinction can help you organize your documents.

The difference between files and folders as containers really becomes significant only when you compile (export) your manuscript, which I cover in Part IV.

The following are definitions for the terms I use throughout this book when discussing the Binder:

Item: Any file or folder within the Binder, regardless of type.

Document: An item that contains text. A document could be a new file created within the Scrivener project or a file that’s been imported from outside the project (for example, a Word, RTF, or plain text file). You can use an empty document as a placeholder for a future scene, with or without a Synopsis.

Folder: A container for documents and other folders. Designated by the folder icon — or another icon of your choosing (see the section “Changing folder and file icons,” later in this chapter) — folders can also contain text, such as a chapter introduction or a chapter title.

Folders can be converted to a file or file group without losing any text or data. They are mainly used to visually organize your documents and to create chapter headings and divisions when you export the manuscript.

File group: Much like a folder, but designated as a file, rather than a folder. Represented by a paper stack icon, a file group is still a container, but it can also act like a document.

Container: Any Binder item that contains other files or folders, or is designated as a folder.

Figure 2-1 breaks down the Binder, using an example project created with the Novel template. Each type of item has its own icon, and some folders have specialty icons.